symptomofgout

[symptomofgout]

sorry i’ve become a kaveh blog a little bit (despite also rarely posting lol). it’s not even that i like him THAT much (…i do though. maybe) but that i am a person largely propelled by spite and frustration and i can’t remember the last time i’ve been driven this insane over the mass mischaracterization of a character so… here we are

#being a kaveh truther is so hard in this fucking economy. #how do i explain that i’m obsessed with kaveh but in a directly opppsitr way from most ppl obsessed with kaveh #im seeing so many ppl complaining ab the direction kaveh’s fanbase is going and like…. they’re right #like the amount of misogyny i’ve been seeing from kaveh fans either externally directed towards other female charas or internally towards #kaveh and his ‘feminine’ traits or whatever…. i don’t want to be lumped into the toxic/yaoi/husbando/etc crowwwedffddddfd #helppppppp

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the usual dialogue between roommates

#this is a good kaveh #and i am so picky about my kavehs #but u get it. l+ratio+redpilled indeed #gi #kaveh

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headshots of the guys ever

#trying to figure out how i want to draw them… they should not be their in-game skin tones obviously like their names are kaveh & alhaitham #but i don’t want it to look like i’m just color filling with darker skin i actually want to make them look like real people or as real as #they actually can with their ridiculous fucking hair and designs in general #anyways. these guys feel like they were literally created in a lab to appeal to me specifically or something #genshin impact #genshin #gi #alhaitham #kaveh #haikaveh #kavetham #kavehtham #my art #genshin art #100 #this flopped lol

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between chuuya alive reveal and 2.2 anniversary today has been a HUGE day for annoying people

#persona 5 #bungou stray dogs #chuuya #shuake

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never played persona in my life but saw it was trending and immediately was like oh hold up lemme check the date yup 2/2

#persona 5 #cultural osmosis is bizarre and real

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the song are you serious by andrew bird is inexplicably oumota core. can’t explain it

#it reminds of ‘i can’t decide’ by scissor sisters which is of course the ouma song ever #so maybe that’s why #but there’s something else too #anyways needed to share this discovery #i don’t care how far away i get from danganronpa (pretty damn far at this point honestky) oumota will always haunt me #dynamic of all time. genuinely so obsessed w them and how their dynamic makes both of them as characters infinitely more interesting #foils <3 #oumota #dr

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short sad story

for sale: xiao weapon, never equipped

#literally. got his weap on standard banner (??) today and like…. my polearm users do not benefit <3 #tragic.

[symptomofgout]

utterly appalled that i have not seen a single person talk about alhaitham's philosophies & humanity and how, despite being a rational person, acknowledges that there are many grey areas that could all simultaneously be the answer. have not seen a single person talk about how kaveh's artistic and romantic personality play into his work that requires in-depth calculations that oftentimes only have one answer. have not seen anyone speak about so many things regarding foils and why alhaitham obviously values kaveh's perspective and. and. aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

#op ur not alone don’t worry. i am similarly baffled by the collective silence on the most interesting parts of their dynamic #not me writing a whole ass essay on kaveh being haitham’s intellectual equal #was so long i’m kinda surprised it got any notes LOL

[symptomofgout]

gacha game: releases two characters

reddit: oh my god they’re so funny!!!

twitter: oh my god they’re so gay!!!

me: oh my god they’re so sara ahmed nancy fraser hierarchical value dualisms critical literature emotion/logic dichotomy!!! (and also funny and gay)

#there is something wrong with me (i am a political theory major and insufferable ex-debate captain/LD debater) #kaveh and alhaitham 🤝 me … being insufferably pretentious ab everything and turning everything into philosophical debates #a post for one person (me) i assume. but still #kaveh #alhaitham #genshin impact #haikaveh #kavetham #idk what their ship name is #100 #how did this get literally any notes LOL

[symptomofgout]

updated

me: i haven’t played genshin in six months which is good because i’d rather invest my time and energy into media i actually think is good with characters/dynamics that interest me-

kaveh and alhaitham: hi

me, whose academic research often centers on the hegemony of ‘rationality’ in society/the value dichotomy of logic vs emotion (and how it’s ‘perfectly analogous’ to masculinity vs femininity & strength vs weakness)/our inability to understand that logic and emotion are not actually inherently opposed and should not be dichotomized at all; who also happens to be an insufferably pretentious and argumentative ex-debate-captain and political theory major whose love and hate languages are both banter’: well fuck.

me: idk no character in genshin really stands out to me that much which is good because i don’t need another character to get invested i-

tartaglia: hi!

me, who has always been a sucker for the ‘morally dubious chaotic neutral cunning ambitious over-confident pretty boy semi-antagonist that gets a (partial) redemption arc based on his loyalty and love for those close to him even though he hides that soft spot under layers of calculated charm and casual spite’ trope: well fuck

#it feels like genshin devs sat down and said Hm Casey Hasn’t Played Genshin In 6 Months How Do We Get Her Back & came up w these characters #like two abrasive pretentious constantly debating scholars who are personifications of logic and emotion respectively — but unlike other #logic/emotion focused dynamics both are geniuses and intellectual equals thus proving that it’s not logic VS emotion or at least doesn’t #have to be and the logic character lets the emotion character live with him to Self Recognition Thru The Other his way to understanding that #his lifelong worldview of ‘logic/rationality = intellect’ isn’t actually true (not that he’d ever admit it) and that emotion and intellect #can coexist and aren’t necessarily enemies after all bc look at that guy he’s both #and also they’re both SOOOO annoying!!!!<3 #fucking created for me specifically or something. it is BIZARRE #gacha game: here are two characters #fandom: they’re so gaycoded oh my god #me: they’re so sara ahmed nancy fraser value dichotomy critical literature coded oh my god #my one solace in my insanity is that this is EXACTLY how those two pretentious mfs would receive themselves too. well kaveh would. #i don’t think haitham would agree with the erasure of the logic emotion dichotomy #he and patriarchal society both🙄 #can u tell i usually play games like disco elysium lmao #there’s a reason i use a sideblog for genshinposting

[symptomofgout]

the akane kurashiki experience

#also! from my main #also known as casey saw three text posts that made her think of akane and said well guess i’ll draw this #my art #999 #ze #100

[symptomofgout]

the narrative of kaveh being an idiot is so baffling to me because he is, quite literally, canonically considered a genius…? why is the popular consensus “6000 IQ alhaitham and his lovably stupid roommate kaveh” when every npc commenting on kaveh refers to his intellect & talent, the literal god of wisdom says kaveh has an “almost-perfect grasp of what it truly means for sumeru to be a nation of wisdom” (whereas she questions alhaitham’s wisdom in her line about him), and alhaitham’s own story profile calls kaveh a genius multiple times??? like the whole point is that he’s alhaitham’s intellectual equal despite having entirely separate worldviews and demeanors, which frustrates alhaitham to no end — ‘how can someone so smart do all of these things that, to me, are so evidently stupid?’ the takeaway from their dynamic should NOT be kaveh is dumb, but rather that empathy and emotion aren’t actually the opposites of logic and intelligence, but sadly both alhaitham and the realm of academia as a whole are too blinded by their own definitions of logic to fully realize that.

tl;dr kaveh is not dumb by any standards and i will prove it

(under the cut: quotes/screenshots/etc proving this + more. please spread the gospel and dispel ignorance. amen)

some npc voicelines (there are more but i’m lazy):

these are pretty self-explanatory — kaveh is a widely-renowned scholar, architect, and engineer throughout sumeru. he graduated from the akademiya with flying colors, students were desperate to take his classes, etc.

nahida’s voicelines:

both are intelligent but only one is wise: kaveh. alhaitham is too restricted by his narrow definition of wisdom (read: what he deems ‘logical’) to look beyond himself and grasp that there’s more to intellect and knowledge than pure cold rationality. he can’t comprehend that empathy and intellect aren’t fundamentally incompatible — in fact, they’re best when put hand in hand. kaveh is one of the few scholars capable of valuing emotions, empathy, and artistic endeavors, while the rest of the akademiya closes themselves off to that entire realm of knowledge from the get-go. this is what makes kaveh uniquely wise, and what alhaitham lacks. until you understand that emotions and logic can and should coexist, you won’t be successful in the true pursuit of knowledge.

last but not least:

alhaitham’s profile (worth noting that profile stories are pretty much the most reliable source of information on characters’ true beliefs and opinions — their voicelines are still them putting on acts in front of the traveler, but these stories are told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator and are likely closer to the truth):

“two geniuses.” and even after their falling out, “neither of them will deny the other party’s exceptional brilliance” — meaning alhaitham considers kaveh to be exceptionally brilliant. point blank. in the text bro

hilarious line — it’s basically alhaitham saying he doesn’t understand how someone with kaveh’s talent and intellect could have a personality/worldview so different from haitham’s. ‘how can someone that smart be so annoying!!!!!’ and ofc by values we know it’s referring to kaveh’s idealism, empathy, and affinity for the arts

alhaitham considers kaveh to be “another genius,” someone who is so much his intellectual equal that he’s “an excellent mirror” for alhaitham. it’s like an experiment for him — the initial question is “how can someone as smart as me care about all of these things i’ve always believed to be worthless,” the subjects are kaveh and alhaitham, the controlled variable is their intellect. because their intellect is the same, alhaitham is able to study their differences (can’t attribute said differences to varying intellect). alhaitham would never say it out loud — and luckily he doesn’t need to bc his character story tells us — but he’s deeply fascinated by kaveh bc kaveh’s very existence is a threat to haitham’s worldview, & he’s letting kaveh stay with him bc through kaveh, alhaitham learns about not just himself but the outside world and humanity as a whole, and as a scholar, there’s nothing more valuable. (also because he feels comfortable with kaveh [“he’s a familiar face”] and they’re both lonely [“similarly lacks familial attachments”] lol these two are never beating the We Know You Don’t Actually Hate Each Other allegations but that’s a different point so i digress)

IN CONCLUSION:

this is all just the TEXTUAL evidence — people saying “kaveh is smart” — and doesn’t even include all of the obvious implicit signs of kaveh’s intellect (no one who graduates from the akademiya w honors and teaches classes there could be anything other than incredibly intelligent, al “i don’t do anything that i don’t want to do” “i’m not going to bother explaining it to you because you won’t understand” haitham not only puts up with but actively seeks out debates with kaveh which he absolutely would not do if he didn’t respect him or consider him to be of roughly equal intellect, look at the debates he has w alhaitham on sumeru messageboards and TELL ME those messages sound like they were written by an idiot or itto or something [you cant], etc etc etc).

and also this is all from 3.3 (+ 3.4 alhaitham leaks)! we don’t even know kaveh’s rarity yet, that’s how far he is from being playable, but there’s already this much information on just how smart he is! it’s the main thing we know about him — 1) he’s smart, 2) he’s passionate/driven by what he feels is right! why does that keep turning into “LOL HOTHEADED HIMBO”??!

okay look. this is all so extra i know. BUT. i must set the record straight now (god knows it’ll only get worse the closer we get to kaveh’s release) because this sudden-onset mass illiteracy within genshin players is going to send me to an early grave. feel free to use as a resource and educate the ignorant so kaveh does not end up reduced to a one-note meme dumb guy when literally that’s just… not even in the game. i mean at least other annoying OOC fandom interpretations have basis in the game but genshin literally tells u every time it gets the opportunity that Kaveh Is Just As Smart As Alhaitham Because Cold Rationality Does Not Equal Wisdom/Intelligence and losing that would be such a crime because it is by far the most interesting n promising thing hoyo has done with new characters in ages! like, not only are they funny and entertaining, not only are they fascinating incredible foils for one another, but they’re used to make a much-needed argument against the prevalent hegemony of mindless rationality and our “logical” society’s illogical fear of emotion/empathy. but yeah sure, theyre just itto & ayato 2.0, i guess. god. the lack of reading comprehension among genshin players is literally an epidemic

#frustrating me to no end. miss the entire point of their dynamic and characters as a whole why don’t you #literally this isn’t ‘shipping goggles’ or anything it’s just … knowing how to read. not looking for subtext just literally reading the text #kaveh #genshin impact #genshin #genshin kaveh #genshin impact leaks #alhaitham #haikaveh #kavetham #kavehtham #genshin meta #i hope ppl see this bc it Needs To Be Said but sadly it will probably get like 10 notes. BUT STILL. i will try #fr the narrative needs to change i don’t think i can take five months of people on reddit characterizing him as th watson to hthm’s sherlock #yeah maybe if watson was a fucking genius too!!! #long post #(under the cut lol) #100 #500

[symptomofgout]

also closeups/lineart of my last post because kaveh’s outfit took me for-fucking-ever

#genshin impact #genshin #my art #gi #kaveh #alhaitham #haikaveh #kavehtham #kavetham

[symptomofgout]

unstoppable force, meet immovable object

#to anyone who saw me post a slightly different version of this earlier: no you didn’t :) #anyways. these guys feel like they were literally created in a lab to appeal to me specifically or something #alhaitham’s line is in cursive bc i needed to convey how fucking annoying and condescending and insufferable he’s being #also idk if they were actually in sumeru city during the samsara in canon but the comedic potential is too good so yes they were it’s canon #genshin impact #genshin #gi #alhaitham #kaveh #genshin impact kaveh #al haitham #kavehtham #haikaveh #kavetham #my art #100 #500 #1000 #5000

[symptomofgout]

anyways .

nah the way people are already flanderizing kaveh and alhaitham…. THEYRE NOT EVEN OUT YET STOP THIS

[symptomofgout]

“kaveh is literally itto 2.0. he’s so stupid i love my brainless babygirl” sorry WHAT?? kaveh is canonically a genius! just because a character is funny and has a personality doesn’t make them itto and just because he argues with his other smart friend doesn’t make him stupid — the reason why alhaitham even bothers arguing w him in the first place is because he acknowledges kaveh as his sole peer of equal intellect!!! kaveh is not stupid! he just has vastly different values than haitham and they’re ones that are less stereotypically aligned with intelligence WHICH IS WHY THEIR DYNAMIC EXISTS !!! kaveh makes haitham question his worldview deep down because how can someone so smart wholeheartedly believe in ideals that are so clearly impractical and illogical?! saying kaveh is stupid ruins his whole character deadass. the whole point of him is to show that alhaitham is WRONG about wisdom — cold ruthless logic is not more wise than empathy and beauty! you lose all of that the second you dumb kaveh down!!!!!! he’s a bleeding heart yes he’s hot headed yes but he is NOT STUPID

nah the way people are already flanderizing kaveh and alhaitham…. THEYRE NOT EVEN OUT YET STOP THIS

#my god

[symptomofgout]

nah the way people are already flanderizing kaveh and alhaitham…. THEYRE NOT EVEN OUT YET STOP THIS

#genshin impact #genshin impact kaveh #alhaitham #haikaveh #kavetham